The annual Kwaku Summer Festival (formerly Kwakoe) will be taking over Amsterdam Southeast's Bijlmer Park over the course of five weekends for a multicultural mix of food, sports, dance, music and more!

Kwaku Festival: celebrating diversity

The Kwaku Festival originally began as a football tournament organised for the first time in 1975 for the youths living in Southeast Amsterdam.

In 1983, the event became a full-blown festival celebrating Surinamese culture focused on those living in the high-rise social housing projects in Southeast.

However, the event quickly became a beloved and lively celebration of art, food, sport and culture leading to a dramatic expansion that now includes a diverse mix of ethnicities and backgrounds.

One of the most vivid festivals in the Netherlands, the more than 300.000 visitors come to experience a whirlwind tour of multicultural Amsterdam through the popular food-trucks, dance workshops, visual arts, Caribbean market, football tournament and mix of DJs and live musicians.

Kwaku Festival highlights

The Kwaku Festival changes each year and this means that there is always something new to look forward to.

For the 2014 edition, the organisers are especially busy with expanding the programme to involve more organisations and initiatives from other neighbourhoods around Amsterdam. With new additions like the Bijlmer Parktheater and Podium ZO!, expect an expanded offering of theatre and dance performances.

Perennial favourites, including the many food-trucks, main stage concerts and open-air market, will all be returning.

One of the most beloved events is the football tournament that sees amateur teams of all ages competing against each other for the Kwaku Cup.

Notes

›To buy a special ticket for all five weekends with a 50 per cent discount, click here.›For more information about the full programme, see here. › The festival only takes place on Saturdays and Sundays.